For typical articles of footwear, the upper extends outwardly and/or upwardly from an outer peripheral edge of the midsole and covers at least a portion of the foot to hold the footwear in place on the foot of the user. Uppers in athletic footwear are usually formed from one or more pieces of fabric, leather, and/or plastic that are stitched, bonded, or otherwise attached together. Various fasteners, including laces and hook and loop fasteners, are used to secure the foot in the cavity defined by the upper. The arch of the foot is designed to act as a spring on the foot while walking or running, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal wear or damage, and reducing the amount of energy expended when walking and running. Conventional articles of footwear may provide arch support, however, these conventional articles of footwear fail to enable the arch to function fully because they do not enable the arch of the foot to properly flex and transfer the weight of the user from the heel to the forefoot when walking or running.
In addition, conventional articles of footwear are often static in how they provide arch support to users. In other words, conventional articles of footwear cannot be changed or altered to provide varying degrees of arch support. Because the foot of one user varies so greatly to the foot of another user, a conventional article of footwear is often designed to fit a generic foot. This often results in the conventional article of footwear failing to properly fit the arch of the foot for several users. Furthermore, because conventional articles of footwear are typically constructed by the upper being bonded to thick midsoles via various layers of cushioning and glue, conventional articles of footwear are heavy and dampen and stifle the performance of the article of footwear for the user.
It would be desirable to provide an article of footwear that has improved arch support, where the article of footwear allows the arch of the foot to flex properly when a user is walking and running. It would also be desirable to provide an article of footwear where the upper is able to completely wrap around at least the midfoot region of the foot of the user. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide an article of footwear that is lightweight and provides an increased performance when running and walking.